Inventions

Inventions, written by Ned Jensen.

《发明》，内德·詹森 著

Introduction. When you think of an invention, what comes to mind? Is it something wacky or something useful? Every day, people all over the world come up with new inventions. These inventions often give us a better way to do something. Most inventions make life easier or more enjoyable. An invention isn't always a thing. An invention can also be a process. Examples of processes are ways of making certain metals, or glass, or even kinds of cheese.

前言 当你想到发明的时候，脑子里会冒出什么？ 是稀奇古怪的东西，还是有用的东西？ 全世界每天都有人想出新发明 这些发明常常给我们带来更好的做事方法 大多数发明让生活更便捷，也更有趣 发明不一定非得是一样实体东西 它也可以是一种制作工序 这类工序的例子有：冶炼特定金属、制作玻璃，甚至制作不同种类奶酪的方法

Not every invention is useful. Over the years, there have been many weird inventions. All of these inventions were made to fulfill a need or a want, but many of these weird inventions either didn't work or caused more trouble than good.

不是所有发明都有用 这么多年来，出现过很多奇怪的发明 这些发明都是为了满足某种需求或愿望而生的，但很多奇怪的发明要么没用，要么惹的麻烦比带来的好处多

Inventions follow inventions. One invention often leads to another invention. For an example, let's look at the wheel. Long ago, the only way people could get from place to place was to walk. It could take days to walk long distances. Then someone invented the wheel. Next, people started putting wheels on logs and boards. These simple carts made it easier to carry goods and people over long distances. Then people started using horses, oxen, or mules to pull the carts. Riding on carts was less work than walking and made it easier for travel.

发明催生出更多发明 一项发明常常会带来另一项发明 举个例子，我们来说说轮子 很久很久以前，人们出行只能靠走路 走很远的路要花好几天时间 后来，有人发明了轮子 之后，人们开始把轮子装在原木和木板上 这些简单的手推车让长途运送货物和载人变得更轻松 再后来，人们开始用马、牛或者骡子拉车 坐车比走路省力多了，也让出行变得更方便

In the 1800s the gasoline engine was invented. The engine could be placed on carts and used to power them. Mules, horses, and oxen were not needed as much. Engines have led to the invention of many other things that helped move people and goods from place to place. Some of these inventions These are steamboats, cars, trains, and airplanes. These inventions helped people and goods cross whole continents in just a few days.

19世纪，人们发明了汽油发动机 这种发动机可以装在马车上，为车子提供动力 骡子、马和牛就不再那么需要了 发动机催生了很多其他能运送人和货物的发明 这些发明包括轮船、汽车、火车和飞机 这些发明让人货跨越大洲只需要短短几天时间

Over time, more inventions made engines better. Today, jet engines help planes fly all over the world very quickly. The jet engine and humans desire to fly higher and faster led to the invention of a more powerful engine called the rocket engine. The rocket engine helps send people into space and to the moon. It took many steps and many years of inventing to get people from the first airplane to the spacecraft that took humans to the moon.

随着时间推移，更多发明让发动机变得越来越好 现在，喷气发动机让飞机可以快速飞遍全世界 喷气发动机加上人类对飞得更高更快的渴望，催生了动力更强的火箭发动机 火箭发动机帮助把人类送上太空和月球 从第一架飞机到把人送上月球的航天器，人类花了很多年，一步步发明才有了今天的成果